Whilst Support Act is a charity, we prefer to think of any financial assistance we are able to give as a grant, awarded in acknowledgment of an artist, artist manager, crew or music worker’s contribution to Australian music.
Meet the people whom we’ve helped and who have kindly allowed us to share their stories.Â
Ben Dewhurst: crew worker
Ben, a crew worker, reached out to us after experiencing a serious health issue. At the time, he wasn’t able to work or support his family, and the stress was becoming too difficult to manage.Â
Through talking with a Support Act Social Worker, Ben connected to the Wellbeing Helpline for counselling. We were able to provide a Crisis Relief Grant to help cover some of his rent payments, as well as providing some grocery vouchers to ease the financial strain.Â
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My life was circling the drain, and I was keeping all my stress locked in to spare my wife and children worry. I was on the edge of a nervous breakdown.
The help I received pulled me back from the edge, and allowed me space to regroup and sort out my problems.
The support workers were so kind and empathetic, and once they understood my problems, they swung into action with a speed and efficiency that astonished me.
I hadn’t fully realised the weight of my burdens until they lifted them off me.
Foura: DJ, producer and promoter
Foura came to Support Act when her mental health hit a breaking point. Unable to work and unsure if she could keep going with music, she reached out for help.
Sam Madden: musician and music teacher
Sam reached out to us during one of the hardest periods of his life – a family member was suddenly hospitalised and with two young kids to care for, Sam had to cancel all his gigs and classes.
Col Millington: retired musician
Support Act service user Col Millington talks about the assistance he received from Support Act that helped him get back on his feet.Â
Phil Eizenberg: musician
Everything changed in an instant when Phil received some devastating news: a life-threatening prostate cancer diagnosis. The surgery that he urgently needed came with some significant medical bills. Even with his loved ones and music mates rallying around him, he simply couldn’t cover the full cost.
Heidi Everett: songwriter and performer
Heidi is a songwriter, performer and working musician who lives with complex mental health realities. When an unexpected crisis left her homeless, she did everything she could to keep her 30-year music career alive.
She lived out of her van, keeping her eight guitars, drum kit and a sound system with her.
Jack Bratt: musician
Jack Bratt is a Brisbane-based songwriter whose debilitating back injury left him unable to tour, or even stand on stage. For 18 months, the music income stopped. The bills didn’t.
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